Even though the Bulls are favored, I think this games going to be a lot closer than you think. For once, the Hawks showed resiliency and played DEFENSE in the post-season. The Orlando Magic’s entire team, besides Dwight Howard, struggled to get into rhythm the entire series. If they want any chance of upsetting the Bulls they must continue to defend the basket. Offensively, the Hawks must attack the rim. At times against Orlando, they would settle for bad jumpers and wouldn’t share the basketball. Their defense was able to bail them out, but they better not get lazy against Chicago. The Bulls have the “most likely” NBA MVP, Derrick Rose, and he was unstoppable in Chicago’s opening series (or should I say all season?). I have no doubts that Rose will continue to put up his huge numbers. Even though Rose has been tearing it up, Chicago must find another player to go to down the stretch. Eventually, Rose is going to fall short in the final minutes. You can’t rely on him to bail you out every time.

X-Factors:

Bulls, Carlos Boozer: Boozer needs to get it going offensively. He only averaged 10.0 points in the opening series, which is way under his regular season average (17.5). Chicago didn’t sign for his services just so he can score 10 points a game in the playoffs.

Hawks, Jamal Crawford: In my opinion, he was one of the main reasons why Atlanta was able to beat down the Magic. He averaged 20.5 points off the bench and outscored the entire Orlando bench in multiple games. He needs to stay red hot as Atlanta lacks depth compared to Chicago.

Verdict:

Bulls in 6

2. Miami Heat v. 3. Boston Celtics

As we expected these two new rivals meet again. Both teams enter the second round after breezing past their opening opponents. The Heat are finally looking like the scary team we were waiting for. I have no idea how Boston is going to slow down their big three, but they must find a way. LeBron James has quietly put up MVP like numbers and he will be the focal point Miami’s offense. Boston’s front court must be able to protect the paint. Not only against James, but the Celtics must keep the Heat from scoring in the paint. Miami isn’t the greatest jump shooting team and tends to run into scoring droughts when settling for jumpers. Both teams match up well and this one can go either way. It’ll be interesting to see which big three comes up on top.

X-Factors:

Heat, Chris Bosh: LeBron James and Dwayne Wade have continued to put up monster numbers all season, but Bosh has had an up and down year with the Heat. He stepped it up in the opening series which helped Miami take care of business. Whenever Bosh plays great the Heat play great. He needs to play aggressive and attack the rim instead of settling for jumpers.

Celtics, Rajon Rondo: The Celtics will go as far as Rondo takes him. He is the facilitator of the Celtic offense. Rondo torched the Knicks in the 1st round, not only with dishes, but also scoring the basketball. In Boston’s three wins over the Heat, Rondo had 17, 16, and 10 assists. He only had 5 in their one loss to Miami. If Rondo can exploit Miami’s poor point guard play they will win the series.

Verdict:

Heat in 7

Western Conference

4. Oklahoma City Thunder v. 8. Memphis Grizzlies

I don’t think anyone expected the Grizzlies to make it here as they dominated the San Antonio Spurs in the 1st round, making it one of the biggest upsets in NBA history. The Grizzlies have played excellent defense in the post-season and as they continue to use their physicality to their advantage. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol were unstoppable in the opening series, but they will have their hands full against the Thunders’ bigs, Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka. I don’t believe they are going to be as dominant as they were against the Spurs. Oklahoma City isn’t small or weak. They also have two superstars in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. If Memphis wants to keep their miracle run going, they must get high production from their back court and continue to play aggressive on both ends of the floor.

X-Factors:

Thunder, Serge Ibaka: His match up against Zach Randolph will be critical in this series. Randolph displayed his dominance against San Antonio and has the abilities to dictate an entire series. If Randolph dominates the point it could be a long night for the Thunder. Luckily for them, Ibaka led the NBA with most blocks and leads the playoffs with 4.8 blocks per game. Not only will he need to defend the rim, but he must be able to rebound the basketball.

Grizzlies, Mike Conley: In my opinion, Conley outplayed Tony Parker in the opening series, but will have his hands full against Russell Westbrook. Conley must continue to play with consistency, as his point guard play will be vital in this one. In his first playoff series, he was able to cause havoc for San Antonio. He isn’t afraid to hit the big jumper or attack the rim. He needs to have a good series if Memphis wants another upset.

Verdict:

Thunder in 7

2. Los Angeles Lakers v. 3. Dallas Mavericks

The Mavs finally got the monkey off their back as they prevailed in 6 against a tough Portland squad. It was a huge relief since they have been trounced in the opening round in three of their last four post-season trips. In my opinion, this is a favorable match-up for the Lakers. Lakers struggle against teams with quick point guards. No disrespect to Jason Kidd, but he’s not exactly quick. Also, the Mavericks don’t have physicality in the post. Dirk Nowitzki is more of an outside shooter and Tyson Chandler can’t do much in the post. Dallas is more of a jump shooting team. If Dallas wants success they must win the points in the paint. In their huge breakdown against Portland, Dallas settled for jumpers instead of going inside which started the undeniable comeback. They cannot allow Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum control this series. Dallas’ bench must be able to show another strong performance as well. Jason Terry and Peja Stojakovic were tremendous. They must show up again. It’s hard to believe will be the first time Kobe will go up against Dirk in the post-season.

X-Factors:

Lakers, Gasol and Bynum: The Lakers must feed these big guys as they were the difference makers in LA’s two wins over the Mavs during the regular reason. They dominated the paint against Dallas. Both big men have the abilities to change a game and their presence must be felt. Their performance will dictate how far the Lakers will go.

Mavs, Jason Terry: Terry was huge for Dallas in the opener as he displayed his magic touch from the outside. Terry is key to Dallas’ success. He must give Dirk from support and continue to hit big shots. If he can hit his 3’s they can be a tough team to beat.

Charles Woodson, seen here holding up the Lombardi Trophy after breaking his collar bone in Super Bowl XLV, was a key cog in the reason the Packers were able to get over their injury woes in the regular season and win their 4th Super Bowl title (oh, the irony, of him getting hurt in the big game, though, isn't it?)

For the 2010-11 Packers, the outlook for the season started rather grimly when their 1,200 yard rusher, Ryan Grant, went down with a season-ending injury in the first game of the year. From there, a plethora of injuries followed, headlined by starting tight end Jermichael Finley and starting middle linebacker Nick Barnett. With this, it surely looked as though Green Bay would have to wait yet another season to have a legitimate shot at capturing their 4th Super Bowl title, especially after an overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins put their season record at a measly 3-3. Boy, were the pundits wrong about that.

After grabbing a 10-6 regular season record with 2 must-win games against the New York Giants and Chicago Bears to close the season, the Packers faced off with the Eagles, a rematch of the Week 1 shootout, in the first round of the playoffs. Philadelphia would prove to be no match, as the Pack would hold on and win thanks to a game-sealing interception by shutdown corner Tramon Williams and 3 passing touchdowns by All-World quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. Williams would again play hero the next week at Atlanta, picking off 2 Matt Ryan passes, including one taken to the house to close out the first half, and really, ice the game. The ensuing NFC Championship would be headlined by frigid weather and good defense, not to mention a major injury to Chicago Bears starting quarterback, Jay Cutler that would leave him out of the entire 2nd half. With Caleb Hanie, their 3rd-stringer, in the game at quarterback, the Packers sewed up an NFC Championship and their first appearance in a Super Bowl in over a decade when B.J. Raji, their starting nose tackle, dropped into coverage on a 3rd & long, picked off Hanie and took it in for a score. With this victory, it would be a battle of old titans in the Super Bowl, the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

On a cold Sunday evening in Dallas, the Packers and Steelers squared off in Super Bowl XLV. The Pack jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead after Ben Roethlisberger threw an errant pass that Nick Collins picked off and returned for a touchdown. However, the Steelers would not go quietly, as Roethlisberger hooked up with Hines Ward and cut the deficit to 21-10 going into halftime. With the Packers emotional leader Charles Woodson, now out for the remainder of the game after suffering a broken collar bone on a play just before the half, the defense of the Green Bay Packers had to step up. That’s exactly what it did. With the score 21-17 to start the 4th quarter, Clay Matthews put his helmet on the ball on a Rashard Mendenhall rush, and caused a fumble that Desmond Bishop would recover and return to near midfield. It did not take long for Aaron Rodgers to work his magic, throwing a touchdown strike to Greg Jennings to take a commanding 28-17 lead. After a Roethlisberger touchdown and a Green Bay field goal, the score was 31-25, there was 1:59 remaining in the game and Ben Roethlisberger had the ball. You could just smell that an epic come-from-behind victory was brewing. Unfortunately for the Steelers, the Packers defense put the clamp down, highlighted by the 4th & 5 pass that was just out of the reach of Mike Wallace, to send Green Bay to their 4th Super Bowl title (13th championship; most in the NFL) and bring the Lombari Trophy back home.

I must say that I have never seen a more resilient group of guys on a team. To watch as 15 different guys went down on I.R. in the regular season, and to see a team still fight and claw for victories week in and week out was simply amazing. Also, the transformation of Aaron Rodgers this year from very good quarterback to great quarterback was marvelous. Watching him yesterday pick apart the #1 defense in football almost effortlessly is something that is hard to put into words; he is officially among the elite. And, the depth of this football team is absolutely ridiculous. 15 different guys go down on I.R., they start signing “street” free agents, and they still win the Super Bowl? Say what? How is that possible? Because the chemistry in the locker room was perfect, the leadership on the Packers was impeccable and because the mentality on that team was a “win or go home” mentality. All-in-all, it led to an improbable Super Bowl run and showed just how good this team is and how good it’s going to be for years to come.

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The last 24 hours have probably been the most face-time I’ve seen Jay Cutler get on ESPN in recent years and once again it wasn’t good. Since everyone else is taking shots at Jay, I might as well express some of my thoughts. Honestly, I think it is unfair that many people are questioning a players’ toughness, when one doesn’t know the severity of the injury. I’m not Cutler nor do I know what he’s thinking. How am I to judge that he should have played the rest of the game with an MCL sprain? I am more surprised that he is getting all this heat from an injury. If anything, he should be criticized of his bad game. The best decision he made all day was sitting out the rest of the game. Cutler was ineffective healthy, so his chances of being effective with a knee injury were slim; especially when you can’t put pressure on it. I just don’t think one can judge a player’s toughness when you don’t know all of the facts barring an injury. Hell, I can’t judge since I’m not even on the playing field. Cut the guy some slack. He was obviously disappointed that he couldn’t play. Cutler led the NFL in being sacked (52) and only missed one game this season with a concussion. If anything, Cutler’s lucky to only have missed one game all season with that inconsistent offensive line of his. Not only that, Cutler has been playing his whole career with diabetes. I don’t think his toughness should be questioned.

That look should explain it all.....

I obviously wasn’t the only one ticked by the calling out of Cutler’s toughness; this is what his teammates had to say about it.

“Jay was hurt,” Brian Urlacher said. “I don’t question his toughness. He’s tough as hell. He’s one of the toughest guys on our football team. He doesn’t bitch. He doesn’t complain when he gets hit. He goes out there and plays his ass off every Sunday. He practices every single day. So, no, we don’t question his toughness.”

“You wanna talk about a guy who’s been sacked 52 times in a season and only missed one game, and you tell me he’s not tough,” Chris Harris said. “For a guy who plays this game every week with diabetes and you tell me he’s not tough. It kind of rubs me the wrong way and pisses me off.”

I may not be your biggest fan, Jay, but I won’t question your will or your toughness. I never had an MCL injury before so I am in no position to judge. I wasn’t on the field during that NFC Championship game either, so my opinion is irrelevant. But I can say that you had a great season and all those pouting Bears fans should be proud of what your team has accomplished this season. I would love to see my team there, but unfortunately the Dallas Cowboys tanked as usual. I do think that Cutler’s attitude and body language needs improvement. I won’t go through any more assumptions because who knows how I would have reacted if I had to sit out a game with Super Bowl implications on the line due to injury. Regardless, things in Chicago could be a lot worse. No one expected the Bears to have this good a season. Hats off.

Side Note:

Some of the Tweets on Cutler

Jacksonville Jaguars Running Back Jones-Drew — “All I’m saying is that he can finish the game on a hurt knee… I played the whole season on one.”

Arizona Cardinals DT Darnell Dockett — “If I’m on chicago team jay cutler has to wait till me and the team shower get dressed and leave before he comes in the locker room!”

Jacksonville Jaguars Linebacker Kirk Morrison — “Jay Cutler better go put some Tussin on that knee and get back out there.”

Philadelphia Eagles Cornerback Asante Samuel — “”If he was on my team I’d be looking at him sideways.”

Former All-Pro cornerback Deion Sanders — “Im telling u in the playoffs u must drag me off the field. . . . Folks i never question a players injury but i do question a players heart.”

If you’re a normal football fan and not a fan of the Seattle Seahawks, the odds of you predicting them to beat the reigning champion New Orleans Saints was slim to none. That’s like predicting a 16 seed to beat the number 1 seed in the NCAA basketball tournament; it’s just inconceivable. Having snuck into the NFL playoffs by beating an underwhelming St Louis Rams team and being the first team to have a losing record make the playoffs, they were pegged as a team happy to just be there. Well Seattle just proved everyone in America wrong by playing out of their minds. Seattle came back from being down 17-7 and responded with a 17-3 run to go into the half ahead by 24-20. After that point, it was all downhill for the New Orleans Saints as they showed their inability to run the ball. DeShawn Wynn was stopped on a key 2 point conversion try and Julius Jones couldn’t get an inch on 4th and 1. This in turn put an insane amount of pressure on Drew Brees by having him attempt 60 passes the entire game. Taylor Potts, a QB for Texas Tech that runs the spread only threw that many passes once. With no running game, the Seahawks were able to send numerous blitzes on Brees and play conservative in the secondary which proved to be a deadly combination. It also doesn’t hurt when Matt Hasselbeck plays the game of his life throwing for 4 TDs and only 1 INT. You could say it was the perfect storm that culminated in a massive upset. The real winner here is the team that gets to play Seattle in the next round of the playoffs. Either the Chicago Bears or Atlanta Falcons will get home field against them and you have to imagine they will be ready to play and not get caught sleeping. I congratulate Seattle on their awesome win, but I have a hard time thinking they can win another playoff game this season.

Will the Miami Dolphins ever play well at home (1-7)? That wasn’t the case, as the Lions scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to erase a 10-point deficit. To cap it off, Chad Henne threw a pick six to give the game to the Lions. The Lions have now won three games in a row. I honestly can’t remember the last time the Lions has achieved that; hats off to them. As for the Dolphins, it has been another short season. I think we have come to a conclusion that this may be Henne’s last season as the Dolphins’ starting quarterback. He hasn’t been able to get the job done, and at times looks horrendous. It’s safe to say it’s time for a change in Miami.

It seems as if Jay Cutler has been playing with a chip on his shoulder all season, as he continues to silence critics with another strong performance as the Chicago Bears outlasted a shoot-out against the New York Jets. Cutler threw a pick six early but bounced back to lead the Bears to a victory. He showed great composure and poise, which is something I’m not accustomed to seeing out of the kid. The red-hot Cutler has accounted for seven touchdowns the past two games, four against the Jets. It looks as if he has something to prove. Next week’s match-up against the Green Bay Packers should be a dandy as the Packers will be playing for a Wild Card spot.

Rumors are Mark Sanchez will be taking David Garrard out for dinner, as Garrard’s ill advised interception cost the Jaguars the game resulting in a playoff berth for the Jets. Win-win.

The Kansas City Chiefs are now 7-0 at home. The trio of Matt Cassel, Jamaal Charles, and Dwayne Bowe has been absolutely deadly this season. I’d be nervous if my team was playing at Arrow Head come Wild Card weekend.

What happened to all the scouts who said Tim Tebow wouldn’t be an effective quarterback in the NFL? Granted it was against the Houston Texans, but Tebow has definitely proved that he can make plays with his arm. I have always believed that Tebow is blessed with the abilities to succeed in anything he puts his mind to. Could this be a bright future to all Denver fans?

I have also concluded that Jason Garrett is not the answer in Dallas. It was the same old story Saturday night; turnovers and penalties. The Cowboys came out flat which resulted to a quick, fourteen point deficit. It was a sloppy and disappointing performance to a weak, Arizona Cardinal team. Who seriously gives up a game winning drive to John Skelton? The Dallas secondary should be embarrassed because I am, and I wasn’t even playing.

Oh yeah, David Buehler blows.

What concussion? Aaron Rodgers bounced back like a stud, throwing for 404 yards and 4 touchdowns. Most importantly, he got the W keeping the Packers’ playoff hopes alive.

I wonder if the New York Giants are going to enjoy their one day layover in Green Bay. Six turnovers and another nasty loss….Ouch.

Recognitions

Tom Brady has set an NFL record with most consecutive pass attempts without an interception.

Eli Manning has now thrown a career high, 24 interceptions in a single season. How did he win a Super Bowl again?

Josh Freeman threw a career best, five touchdown passes against the lousy, Seattle Seahawks.

Ahmad Bradshaw now leads all running backs with six lost fumbles. Good job, bro!

Kind of a surprise considering two teams in the AFC are considered locks, but no team in the NFC can rest easy just yet. Nobody has clinched a spot and everyone can slip and miss the playoffs with a string of losses. This will most likely change after this weekend as 3 teams should emerge as locks for the playoffs as long as they win their respective games. Until then however, this category remains empty.

Atlanta has the top record so obviously they’re sitting pretty. They can afford to lose 2 games and should still make the playoffs easy and are close to clinching. They’ve played great all season long and always find ways to win. As for the Saints, they are 1 game behind the Falcons and on their heels. They have a tough schedule as they play Tampa Bay, Atlanta, and Baltimore. They should be fine with 1 win, but should aim for 2 to get a better seed. If they land the 5th seed, they’ll get the gift of destroying the NFC West Champions. The Eagles and the Giants are in good position as they are both tied for first in the NFC East. They both play each other this week which should determine who’s in good position to win the division and who should aim for the wild card spot. Philly finishes the season with Minnesota and Dallas so their road isn’t incredibly tumultuous. The Giants have to still play at Lambeau Field against a Packers team that must win and at Washington. While they have some tough battles, they control their own destiny.

Here’s where things get interesting. The five teams above are still in the playoff race, but need to play flawless football. St Louis and Seattle is an interesting battle. If either team loses 2 games San Francisco enters the picture if they can win out. Seattle plays two teams with winning records while St Louis plays Kansas City. To make things real interesting (something the NFC West hasn’t seen in ages) they also play each other the final week of the season which could be a winner take all situation. Tama Bay has had a great season thus far and yet is still a game behind the final playoff team. Out of their final games, the only real challenge is New Orleans week 17. However, they will need some help in the form of either of NFC East team losing at least 2 games. For right now they need to win at least 2. The Packers and Bears will be the most interesting playoff race out of them all. Green Bay has one hell of a final stretch as they play 3 playoff teams in the Patriots, Giants, and the Bear at home. It could get real interesting if they beat the Giants and the Giants lose against the Eagles next week which could be the easiest road to the playoffs for the Packers. The Bears on the other hand play the Vikings, Jets, and Packers. They’ve played well enough to win lately, but they’re still the Bears and could choke away a few games to slip away.

Barely Alive: San Francisco 49ers

Much like their bay area counterparts, the San Francisco 49ers are on the outside looking in. However, they still have a shot to make the playoffs. First off, they need to win out which includes a division game against St Louis and a tough road test against San Diego. They also need both St Louis and Seattle to lose at least 2 games each which is possible as St Louis plays Kansas City and San Francisco while the Seahawks play Atlanta, Tampa Bay, and St Louis. Nobody has an easy road in the NFC West and it will come down to who can win when it counts (which has been nobody this season).

The above teams have no chance at all and are already looking forward to next season. The Panthers haven’t been ready to play all season and had a serious down year with some bad play at the QB position. They are most likely going to pick first in the NFL draft and should take Andrew Luck. The Cardinals have fallen hard as well for a slew of reasons which is sad as 3 of the NFC West teams are still in contention with losing records. Detroit is still Detroit, although they’ve shown improvement. They just seem to always get bad breaks (Calvin Johnson no TD, Stafford injury, etc). They still have some building blocks to work with and are slowing turning everything around. Minnesota has been a hot topic because of Brett Favre but more importantly because they went from the NFC Championship game to eliminated by week 14. Leslie Frazier has done well so far, but there’s a lot of work left to be done. As for the Redskins, they’ve only made the playoffs once with Dan Snyder as owner so it’s to be expected. They overpay undeserving players drastically and trade away all their draft picks. Lastly, the Dallas Cowboys. I could talk for days how Romo let them down, or their sense of entitlement got to the heads, or how Wade Phillips should of been fired last season; instead I’ll just say they’ve been a disappointment.

Have the Jets lost their swagger? The New York Jets have now lost two in a row with another sloppy performance coming from Mark Sanchez as the Miami Dolphins scored all their points off of Jet turnovers. Sanchez was off-target all night, only completing 17 out of 44 passes for 216 yards and a pick. He has now thrown a pick in eight consecutive games. What’s even worse? The Jets haven’t scored a touchdown in two straight games. Is he finally feeling the pressure? We will find out next week when the Jets visit the Steelers.

Brody Croyle of the Kansas City Chiefs is now 0-10 as a starting quarterback……yikes.

The Washington Redskins’ special teams were just disastrous Sunday afternoon as it cost them the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers extending their losing streak to three. First, kicker, Graham Gano missed two chip-shot field goals in the first half; then, holder, Hunter Smith was unable to receive the snap on the game tying extra-point attempt in the final nine seconds. It was just flat out embarrassing to see this from a NFL team.

Time for a makeover in Cincy? I believe so. The loss to Pittsburgh now extends Cincy’s losing streak to ten. Carson Palmer continues to give the opposition points as he handed touchdowns to Lamar Woodley and Troy Polamalu. He now leads the league with the most interceptions returned for scores. I thought the Dallas Cowboys were a big disappointment, but this Bengal team isn’t too far behind.

It was an ugly game and loss for the Green Bay Packers. The Packers simply couldn’t muster any offense. They were two for twelve on third downs and turned the ball over three times. Not to mention, the running game was nonexistent. Rodgers led the team in rushing with two carries for 25 yards and he was out for most of the game. That just isn’t acceptable. It was an overall, sloppy performance by the Packers. Even though Rodgers went down, this team has the talent to put up more than three lousy points against an average Lions’ defense. The Packers have three huge games remaining (Patriots, Giants and Bears). For the sake of their season, let’s hope Rodgers returns quickly.

Like I said before, the Bears’ success relies on their ability to win the turnover margin, but on Sunday that wasn’t the case. The Bears turned the ball over four times resulting in a good old-fashioned butt kicking by the New England Patriots. I think we all know who the best team in the league is…….